The Ways Of The Atheist

1. The intellectual atheist.

  This person honestly feels that there is a lack of sufficient evidence to demonstrate God's existence. The intellectual atheist claims that he cannot put faith in anything that he himself cannot see, feel, nor touch with his physical senses. (This, of course, is not a valid argument, for there are many things we all take by faith that we haven't seen for ourselves. For example, most people believe that asteroids exist, even though they may have never seen one). Hence, the intellectual atheist uses many arguments of reason and logic to defend his position.

Most intellectual atheists, however, have never really examined the evidence that demonstrates God's existence. Since many of them are open to reason, most intellectual atheists reject their atheistic position upon hearing the evidence which supports that there is a God.

2. The immoral atheist.

  This person denies God's existence because he loves his sin. He is basically a selfish individual, and delights in practices that offend God's law. The immoral atheist rejects the notion that God exists so as to make himself feel that he is not accountable to anyone for his actions. His moral state prevents him from acknowledging God's existence. He surmises that if God exists, then he will be accountable and will have to face judgment for his unrighteous deeds. This person can be likened unto a criminal. A criminal would like to believe that law enforcers do not exist. In like manner, the immoral atheist would like for God not to exist. This, then, is the underlying reason for his belief. So in order to appease his conscience and disregard the fear of judgment, the immoral atheist persuades himself that "there is no God."

3. The emotional atheist.

  Probably most atheists today are of this type. Unlike the intellectual and immoral atheist, the emotional atheist does not reject God's existence because of reason, nor because he loves sin. Instead, the emotional atheist denies God's existence because all he has experienced in his life has been pain, sorrow, and heart-break. This person cannot see any sense nor purpose in life; it all makes no sense to him. He has never experienced true love and concern from others. Hence, he can only conclude that if there was a God, life would not be so painful. Out of all of the different types of atheists, the emotional atheist is most open to see the truth that God exists. For once he sees the love of God and experiences it, he abandons his atheism.

  In examining the evidence for God, it is interesting to note that the Bible never seeks to prove His existence. Rather, the Bible assumes God's existence from the very start and affirms that God's existence is an unshakable fact that need not be explained. According to the Bible verses cited at the beginning of this article, God has given man sufficient evidence to believe in Him. For this reason, the Bible simply states that atheism is foolish (Psalms 14:1).

  The foolishness of atheism is exposed when we consider how utterly small, finite, and limited man is in this universe. When a person claims that he absolutely knows that God does not exist, he is essentially saying, in effect, that he has all knowledge and all power. This may sound strange at first, but let us discuss it for a moment. Consider how you, as a mere human being, compare with all that is around you. You are one person on planet earth where 6 billion other people, like yourself, reside. Have you been to all parts of this planet to seek out and search whether or not God exists? Have you been to every continent, every country, every state, province and city? Have you explored every ocean, sea, river, and lake? Taking it a step further, although planet earth is incredibly large, the sun is far larger. If the sun could be excavated, you could fit hundreds of thousands of earths inside of it! And the sun is only one medium sized star among millions of other stars in the universe. In fact, some stars are over 500 times larger than the sun! Furthermore, there are literally hundreds of millions of other solar systems besides ours! Is this not breathtaking to consider? Have you been to all of them to seek and to search God out?

  Concerning the size of the universe, astronomers tell us that some stars are so far from us that the light from them has been traveling for thousands of years, and it still hasn't reached the earth yet! Finally, we live in the dimension of space and time; can you be absolutely certain that there is not another dimension beyond time and space wherein God may exist? If a dimension outside of time exists, which is quite likely, have you investigated it through and through to see if God is there? In sum, are you, as a mere mortal who has not even walked through the whole earth, qualified to declare that God does not exist? Are you, who stand under 7 feet and only take up several inches of ground in this enormous universe, competent to say that God does not exist?

Perhaps by now you have seen my point. Since you and I are so utterly small, restricted, and limited in our knowledge, being, and power compared to the breath-taking vastness and enormity of the universe, it is utter arrogance & nonsense for any of us to declare with confidence that God does not exist.

  Man is incompetent to make such a judgment. By doing so, he is basically saying, in effect, that he himself is God! In other words, to state that God does not exist is to indicate that we have all-knowledge and all-power, that we have investigated every corner and curve of the universe, and that as a consequence, we can be sure that God does not exist. How can you or I, who cannot explain how our hearts beat, or if it will rain tomorrow, or what will happen to us next year, dare say that God does not exist? If you cannot know such simple things, what makes you an authority on the question of God's existence? Therefore, the position of atheism, when carefully examined, is truly foolish and presumptuous. Let us briefly consider just a few facts that evidence God's existence.

1. The complexity, order, sophistication, and intricate design of the universe, ecosystem, and all biological and botanical life attest to an intelligent Creator, which is God (Romans 1:19,20, Psalms 19:1, 139:14-17).

  There are only three alternatives to explain the origin of the universe:

1) it always existed,

2) it was created by chance, or

3) it was created by God.

  It is utterly inconceivable to believe that the universe and all it contains could exist apart from a Supreme Designer. The universe could not have always existed, for it is expanding and contracting. This suggests that it came into existence at a certain point in time. Furthermore, the universe could not have been created by chance for it is too orderly and complex. It is a basic principle that the things that chance creates are always unorganized, irregular, inconsistent, and partially integrated. Moreover, whatever chance creates, it almost instantaneously destroys.

  For example, if I continue to throw a chair up in the air, by chance, the chair will eventually fall to the ground on its four legs. However, the next time I throw it up, it will land once again on its back or side. Consider another example. Suppose we put a monkey at a typewriter. If a monkey stays at a typewriter long enough, he may eventually produce a coherent sentence (maybe after a few hundred years of typing). However, with the next few strokes that the monkey makes after completing this coherent sentence, he will have made the sentence incoherent through his arbitrary typing. Hence, whatever organization chance can create, it almost instantaneously destroys by the same mechanism that it utilized to produce the organization. It is inconceivable, then, to believe that chance could create anything complex and sophisticated, whether it be a watch, a car, or a computer. All of these things require a designer. Therefore, the consistency, organization, symmetry, form, and purposefulness of the universe speaks very strongly to God's existence.

2. A natural and inborn desire for God in the heart of man attests to His existence.

  Virtually every religion in the world affirms a Creator. There is no culture on planet earth that does not have a religion as a part of its tradition. The belief in a Divine Person, then, is universal; it can be found in all cultures, nations, and tribes. Desire always implies and indicates the existence of an object in the world. If a person desires something, it affirms that the object desired exists. If, for example, I desire a car, a family, a house, or a particular job, then my desire for these objects demonstrates their existence. Moreover, orphans, by nature, desire parental love, even though they may have never seen their real parents. All orphans have this irresistible yearning. Hence, every desire of the heart arises out of an existing and real object.

  Seeing that people in all cultures have a capacity and a desire to believe in, to know, and to fellowship with God, then God must exist. The explanation for this, of course, is that God created man with a capacity to know Him and to fellowship with Him. Interestingly, the Bible teaches exactly that, thus confirming human experience.

3. The multitudes of answered prayers confirm God's existence.

  All who have known God throughout the span of time, know that He exists by His response to their prayers and the specific guidance that He affords them in life. Neither coincidence nor chance can possibly account for the thousands upon thousands of answered prayers that servants of God in the past and present have received. Although atheists try to dismiss and brush aside all of the answers to prayers that people throughout the centuries have reported, can any one of them prove that such reports are not genuine? Time and space would not permit me to describe the countless answers to prayer that I myself have received thus far in my life, not to mention the millions of others who have had the same experience. Although this evidence is a subjective one, it still must be included for it is quite significant.

4. The sense of God's presence by those who serve Him attests to God's existence, through the miracles that have been performed in his/her life, by Jesus Christ.

  Although this is a subjective fact, it nevertheless remains a reality for those who know the Lord. God's presence can be sensed within man's spirit. Even though this is rather difficult to explain, it is quite real. God is real, and He truly does love you. He desires to reveal Himself to you as your Father. He cares about you and has created you for a purpose. Whether you believe in Him or not, you will stand before Him laid bare one day. And on that day, atheist, agnostic, and theist alike will see God face to face before His throne of judgment. Since God exists, then we must be prepared to meet Him; the Bible declares, "prepare to meet your God" (Amos 4:12). Therefore, it is foolish and dangerous to imagine that He does not exist. We must not only acknowledge His existence, but we must prepare to meet Him.

  Why is it important to prepare to meet God? It is because God created man to have fellowship with Him. However, man sinned and fell away from God. As a result, we all have sinned; sin is in our nature. Because God is absolutely holy and righteous, sin separates us from God. To meet God peacefully, then, we must repent from sin, which separates us from God, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Savior for our sins. By receiving Christ by faith, we find God's grace to forgive us of our sins. This same grace enables us to find favor with our Creator, and to live right before Him. God loved us so much that He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us and remove the penalty for our sins. Outside of Christ, we all stand condemned by God; through Christ, we are accepted and received by God.

  If you are an atheist, I hope that you will be responsible and sober in this matter and reconsider your position. If you are an intellectual atheist, I exhort you to consider the evidence of our immense, orderly, and complex universe, for God's footprints are all over it. In a word, the universe is the undeniable handiwork of a Divine Designer.

  If you are an immoral atheist, I challenge you to get honest with yourself, and face the fact that you will never be happy in continuing to live a lie and in offending your conscience. Repent of your wickedness and selfishness, and acknowledge God as your Creator and Ruler. Quit lying to yourself and to others. Finally, if you are an emotional atheist, I want to encourage you to ask God to reveal His wonderful love to your heart. Ask Him to make Himself real to you, but don't limit Him in the way that He chooses to do this. Don't be afraid to talk to Him, even though you may not be sure He is there. I tell you, if you seek Him with an honest and open heart, He will surely hear you, for He has promised, "And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13).

  Acknowledging God's existence will naturally lead you to find His Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. When you accept the Lord Jesus, a life filled with purpose, joy, and peace will begin for you. It is the abundant life that Jesus promised to all who follow Him - a life of knowing God today and being assured of eternal life tomorrow. Yet, such a new life begins with first believing that God exists, for "without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). May we all acknowledge God's existence and accept Christ into our hearts. In this way, God shall no longer be a Judge, but instead be a loving Father to us.